Over 2,600 girls in Ireland could be at risk from Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), it has been claimed.

An estimated 3,780 women have already undergone the barbaric practice before arriving in this country, according to a new ActionAid study.

And now the organisation is warning a further 2,639 girls may currently be in danger of FGM, with this number expected to rise.

FGM, also known as female cutting, is common practice in at least 30 - mainly African - countries, but is a criminal offence in Ireland.

ActionAid carried out a national level analysis and a regional study of 16 service providers in Cork city and county in mid-2016.

Salome Mbugua, a researcher who led the study, said: “We carried out the regional study in Cork because, while it has the second largest migrant population in the country, services for women who have undergone or are vulnerable to FGM that are available in Dublin are not available in Cork.

"Our research has shown that there is a gap in information, training and resources among key organisations in Cork.”

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Siobhan McGee, ActionAid Ireland CEO, added: “Urgent action is needed to raise awareness to stop FGM from happening to girls right now; and women who have already suffered the practice need very specialised support.

“ActionAid is actively working to combat FGM in countries that the women concerned come from, but such work is very limited in Ireland.

"ActionAid’s work with women in Kenya has seen a 27% reduction of the practice, through a programme funded by Irish Aid.

"We urgently want to bring those successful approaches to women and girls at risk in Ireland who must have the opportunity to reject this harmful practice.

“Ireland showed leadership and enacted the Criminal Justice (FGM) Act (2012) making FGM illegal in Ireland, we’ve signed up to international agreements to abolish FGM - this displays commitment to combating violations of women’s and girl’s rights.”